According to Alessia Brio’s blog post, Mrs G put up a post called Poetry, that read a little something like this:“There are people who enjoy reading poetry, but I am not one of them. The only poetry for grown-ups that I can appreciate are those by WB Yeats, but that’s because he’s kinda cute in the photo on the cover of the collection of his poems that I own. Even if the poem in question is supposed to be erotic, it goes right over my head. I guess I’m just not that kind of literate/artistic people. I only like rude poems found in kiddie books, but that’s about it, I’m afraid.

But hey, don’t let me stop you from enjoying things like Phaze In Verse. It’s an EPPIE-nominated thing, after all. For the life of me, though, I can’t imagine what kind of poetry one can write about a publishing house. Sonnets of appreciation for getting published? Sordid haikus about the orgies that went on in the recent company Christmas party?

By the way, is it just me or Phaze’s publishing roster when it comes to erotic stuff comprise mostly folks from Literotica?”

Now I already read this entry a few days earlier, and you know me, I fancy I can smell an actual blog row from miles away, but I didn’t even get so much as a nose twitch.

Anyway, apparently, some of the rabid Phaze authors started getting all defensive and calling Mrs G, The Devil’s Spawn (erm.. paraphrasing obviously) for daring to suggest that they write porn for Literotica. or as Alessia Brio put it:

“A couple of Phaze authors posted clarifications”

Uh huh, I’ve seen e-authors and their clarifications before. *g*

From what I hear, it was a similar kind of total overreaction to that of some of the crazy people over at Changeling Press, after I posted what was supposed to be a public service announcement, albeit a little tongue-in-cheek.

It has been suggested that the reason that some of these authors reacted so badly is because some of them did indeed start life at Literotica, and perhaps don’t want the likes of me going and finding posts where they tell all and sundry about what they’re into. Apparently, some of the authors at Literotica are very graphic about their sex lives, and so the now respectable Phaze authors probably don’t want their sexual proclivities being unearthed. Ooh er missus.

Anyhoo, this is what Alessia Brio wrote on her blog:

“Yeah, it’s a little snarky… but, really, not too objectionable. (In truth, maybe 10% of Phaze’s roster of 120+ authors has Literotica roots, if that. I take the blame credit for that, as I enthusiastically encouraged some of my Lit colleagues to submit their work to Phaze. I also took one of the earlier Coming Together anthologies to Phaze. It will be released in print on the 7th, by the way. *grin*) I looked at the initial post as a positive, in general. Free publicity with a link directly to the buy page. A couple of Phaze authors posted clarifications and suddenly, we’re a coven of creepy authors for wanting to set the record straight.

A cult, mind you. I’d say that comes dangerously close to libel.

Seriously, what gives? Cults don’t allow their members to speak out. (Oh, wait — that was another publisher — one that blacklisted authors who didn’t behave.) Cults don’t let their members belong to other cults… erm, publishers. (Damn, close to half of Phaze’s roster has work also published elsewhere — with its blessing, even.) Cults don’t let their members go without a fight. (I can attest that no one’s a prisoner at Phaze.)

I have to say, I thought Mrs G was rather polite, I’d have been more likely to call them fucknuts, and tell them to get the fuck off my blog, so really, in the great scheme of things, a teeny tiny comment about a few of their authors being Literotica writers probably isn’t that bad methinks.

As for the authors who started life at Literotica, so far I got:

Alessia BrioAurora BlackWill BelegonSelena Kitt

Apparently, there are quite a few more, but that would mean actually looking.

Ok I started looking and came across this question by a Lit author (I’m assuming he/she wasn’t from Phaze, but you never know.)

“I was wondering if It reading and writing about underage incest fantays..especially about younger girls….is as disgusting as I sometimes feel it is. I do NOT condone Kiddy porn NOR sexual abuse in any way of minors, but it is still a fantasy of mine….but not that I wan’t to be WITH the girl, but that I wan’t to BE the girl….so would writing fantays like that make me a bad person?”

He/she doesn’t condone kiddie porn, but fantasizes about having underage sex with a family member? Ok then.

This answer from one of the other members, made me want to go and take a bath:

“It is hard for me to believe that thinking is a crime, I certainly hope you WILL explore these fantasies for us in print. I would love to have a womans perspective on what it would be like to have sex at say 15 with your father….. I suspect the emotions and feelings would be far more erotic than anything I can imagine. Sex for the first time for a little girl has to be painful, but emotionally rewarding at the same time. I hope you will explore this! I know I would love to read it.”

Emotionally rewarding? Yeah, whatever. That dude is a pedo waiting to happen, if it hasn’t already.

Anyway, Selena Kitten, a current Phaze author thinks there’s no harm in it, because after all, it’s just a fantasy. She writes:

“But the FANTASY of such a thing – NOT the reality, the FANTASY… is a turn on for some. Of both genders. As DCL mentioned (god this is an OLD thread, isn’t it??) thinking is not a crime.

Unless I slipped into Big Brother territory when I wasn’t looking…__________________*~*~Selena~*~* “

I’m assuming that some of the authors might have engaged in similarly open conversations about their likes and dislikes, and just want it to stay hidden. Who can blame them? Blech.

The more I read, the more I decide I am way to prudish to continue, so I’ll let you guys readfor yourselves. (Oh look out for some dude called Amicus, his views are…interesting, shall we say.)

It always amazes me that authors, especially those that are e-pubbed, seem to have so little self-control, when it comes to perceived slights. Dudes, if you’ve written for Literotica, why get mad over somebody publicising it? And if you haven’t written for Literotica, why assume that everybody will assume that you have written for them just because you write for the same publisher that former Literotica authors write for?

Did that last paragraph even make sense?

I’ve never been a Phaze fan, and having read three books that were kindly sent to me by one of the bods there, as well as the freebie stories that they offer up on their website, I don’t think that that status quo will change anytime soon (seeing as I hate badly edited books) and things like this just seals it for me.

And by the way, I can’t imagine that readers will care about whether or not their fave authors started life at Literotica, but the overreaction, now that’s always blogworthy.

Update: Speaking of blogworthy, if any Phaze (or ex-Phaze) authors out there want to get in touch about some of the ‘interesting’ things that your fellow authors get up to, feel free to e-mail me at hairylemony @ gmail .com (without the spaces). You know me, confidentiality guaranteed. *g*